Johnny Depp: San Sebastian Film Festival defends honorary award

Depp plays a real-life photographer in his latest film Minamata

A film festival in Spain has defended its decision to give Johnny Depp an honorary award after being criticised by domestic abuse charities.

Depp lost a libel case in 2020 over an article labelling him "a wife beater".

The San Sebastian Film Festival, which is due to give him an outstanding contribution award next month, said the star had not been convicted "of any form of violence against women".

Women's Aid has said the honour is disrespectful to abuse survivors.

"When a perpetrator is celebrated, allowing them to continue to garner success and public approval suggests that abuse is acceptable and does not matter," the Women's Aid Federation said earlier this week.

• Johnny Depp awards insulting, abuse charities say

• Depp loses libel case over Sun 'wife beater' claim

Depp, whose films include Edward Scissorhands and the Pirates of the Caribbean series, sued The Sun after it claimed he had assaulted his ex-wife Amber Heard.

A High Court judge ruled last year that the article has been "substantially true". It was not a criminal trial and Depp has not faced any charges relating to domestic abuse.

In a statement on Friday, the festival said it had been accused "of failing to display ethical behaviour in regard to violence against women".

It said it had a commitment to fighting "inequality, the abuse of power and violence against women", but was also committed to the "presumption of innocence" and "right to reintegration".

The actor has denied abusing Amber Heard, whom he divorced in 2017

"According to the proven data which we have to hand, Johnny Depp has not been arrested, charged nor convicted of any form of assault or violence against any woman," it continued.

"We repeat: he has not been charged by any authority in any jurisdiction, nor convicted of any form of violence against women."

Depp, 58, is also due to be honoured at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic later this month.

His latest film Minamata, about photographer W Eugene Smith and the mercury poisoning that befell the titular Japanese town, opens in UK cinemas this weekend.